NGO Gives 2,800 Admission Seekers Free Scholarship In Nigeria

Dr. Adebayo

ABEOKUTA - A Non-Governmental Organization, Scholarship Aid Initiative has awarded free tuition fee scholarship to over 2,800 candidates who applied for the scholarship scheme.

The African Regional President of the NGO, Dr. Adebayo Oluwatosin who disclosed this on Friday at the 10th Stakeholders Forum of the foundation held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital said over 3,000 applicants sat for the qualification examinations but only 2,800 passed the examinations.

Dr. Adebayo noted that, the essence of the free tuition scholarship was to help the less privileged willing to have education but are unable due to financial challenges.

He said the level of poverty in the country has deprived many brilliant students access to quality education.

"Many students finished secondary school at the age of 15 or 16 but could not secure admission into higher institutions int they were above 20years and the labour market peg entry job age to 23years, at most 24years. A child that gets admission at 21years will spend another five or six years to study a four year course due to general strike and some other internal issues, with another one year compulsory NYSC programme, which means the child would be 27years or 28ywars before completing the programme. How can such child meet with the entry job requirement?" He querried.

The educationist, however, called for the scrapping of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), saying it is a way of defrauding the masses.

According to him, JAMB system is a way of defrauding the masses.

Speaking on the theme: "Higher Institution Admission in Nigeria: Influencing Policies and Way Forward", Adebayo argued that since the people that brought education into the country did not use unified examination then there was no need for it.

Quoting the JAMB Registrar, Prof Ishaq Oloyede that, "JAMB is a ranking test rather than an achievement one", Adebayo said that if the exam was only to rank students and not to examine them, then it should be scrapped.

The Regional President advised that Universities should be allowed to use their own ways, methods or system to admit students into their institutions.

His words" We have been saying this about Jamb, my position about Jamb in this country is that it should be scrapped completely out of our system, there is no country in the world that uses unified examination to secure admission, I see Jamb system as a way of defrauding the masses, I am saying this authoritatively because merely looking at it the people who brought education to us did not use unified examination.

"Coupled with what the Registrar of Jamb recently is it not your score that will determine your gaining admission, so what is the essence of job, it is better jamb should be completely scrapped and let the Universities use their own way and their own system to secure, recruit or to admit students into their institutions.

"Every University as it owns standard requirements that they use to secure  admission, why are we still using unified examination, so why Jamb".

Adebayo, therefore, advised parents to encourage their children to look for alternative ways of getting admissions if they fail JAMB.

"My advice to parents is because the government is still using the system, there is nothing we can do, the parents should always encourage their child, if you fail jamb this year, there are so many alternative way to tertiary institutions, not by jamb alone, some use professional courses, some do direct entry, is not compulsory that you write Jamb but the only problem we are facing is that even the Jamb itself also have introduced Jamb regularisation system, so there is a way that the child can secure admission, maybe later they would regularize the ward in the JAMB portal".